Hanok-themed tea room offers unique herbal blends

Herbalist Kim Dam-bi wraps a Christmas tea box at her tea room located in central Seoul, Dec. 16. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Herbalist offers de-stressing recipes to make it through pandemic

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kim Dam-bi, 30, runs a tea room in a 90-year-old hanok, or traditional Korean house, and directs experience-focused workshops and events on the themes of tea, incense, music and meditation.

Like many in contemporary society who are exposed to vast amounts of information daily, she often feels stressed as a result of the tech and social media overload.

"In the 21st century, people are always exhausted because they stare at computers and smartphones for many hours. I want to keep their eyes from feeling tired and turn their attention to their other senses," she said.

Before becoming a herbalist, Kim was a DJ who was active in Seoul and Berlin.

"I've always wanted to live abroad and explore new cultures. So I majored in French and English in college and lived in Australia in my early 20s," she said. "After experiencing the party culture there, I realized that I like to host events and parties."

After graduating from college, she flew to Berlin and worked as an intern at a record company. Being a DJ on the side, she was able to make a lot of friends in the art scene.

Kim recalled that her musical tastes changed over time from dance music, ambient and film soundtracks to modern classical music and string music. Then she got into playing the geomungo (Korean zither) and developed an interest in Asian tea culture.

"I had a lot of fun while DJing, but as I got older, I had a desire to look deeper inside myself. I guess I was looking for a way to train my inner self," she said.

"When I was younger, I was energetic and naive. But as I entered my mid-20s, I began to pay more attention to health and inner peace. I wanted to host events that can connect people and leave a lingering impression."

Dambi's tearoom organizes experience-focused workshops on the themes of tea, incense, music and meditation. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Kim started to study herbal tea in 2015 and Chinese tea and incense ceremonies in 2016, and really got involved with the tea culture. Since 2017, she has been reinterpreting tea in a modern sense. She does not get hindered by traditions or fixed ideas.

Before opening her own tea room, she worked in several tea houses to gain knowledge about herbal teas.

"When I worked at a tea cafe in Seochon, I made over 200 cups of matcha green tea a day. What I wanted was not just to drink a cup of tea, but for it to lead to a deeper experience. So I got myself a studio where I could experiment and share my knowledge with others," she said.

The herbalist often mixes ingredients from Korea and other countries to create her own blends. For instance, Kim uses watermelon from Africa and seaweed from Europe. Sometimes she mixes herbs from the West and the East, and at other times, she uses medicinal herbs to make tea.

"I don't think we should treat tea in a customary way. I want to create my own tea recipes and share ideas with people from different regions," she said.

Kim said that she constantly searches the internet to find the best combination of different herbs and spices for her unique herbal tea blends and studies the benefits of the ingredients.

"Everything can be learned or acquired through the internet. That's how I study ingredients and Chinese herbal medicines. I usually buy dry ingredients at Namdaemun Market (the largest traditional market in Korea), but also acquire them in nature," she said.

Kim Dam-bi holds a cup of "meditation tea" that includes blue mallow flowers, cassia seeds, lavender and lemongrass. / Courtesy of Kim Dam-bi

When it comes to naming teas, Kim tries to capture the essence of the blend. For instance, "meditation tea" includes blue mallow flowers, cassia seeds, lavender and lemongrass; "diablo tea" includes jujube, licorice root, reishi mushroom and foxglove root.

This month's herbal tea is called "Christmas tree tea," which includes rooibos, pine needles, peppermint, cinnamon, goji berries and star anise.

"Let's take goji berry as an example. The flowers appear in late spring/early summer, and fruit begins to ripen in mid-summer/early fall. Its flowers, fruits and even branches can be used for making tea or liquor," she said.

Rosemary ginger tea, left, and Lei cha (Chinese Hakka people's nut drink) at Dambi's tearoom / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Kim said she wants people to focus on quality of life rather than the artificial aspects of life.

"Life has become more convenient, but don't be fooled by it. Money won't solve all your problems. Look at the world with a broader perspective and spend time to look back on yourself. And tea will help you through that process," she said.

Kim stressed that tools are not important when it comes to enjoying tea. "There is something I always tell people who visit my tea room. How you sit or which cup/bowl you drink tea from isn't important. What really matters is what goes inside your body," she said.

Being an environmentally conscious person, Kim refused an offer make her herbal tea blends into products that come in tea bags.

A handcrafted incense stick burns in a holder to promote relaxation. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

To create a perfect mood to enjoy tea, Kim has learned to make handmade incense products at her tea room. Incense comes in a variety of forms from hand-rolled and dipped sticks to cones and smudging sticks.

"The act of burning incense accompanies drinking tea and meditating. It is another form of improving the quality of our surroundings. Inhaling Chinese herbal medicines can promote relaxation and reduce anxiety," she said.

Having organized workshops where participants drink tea and smell incense while relaxing with meditation and ambient music playing in the background, Kim has presented tea ceremonies at a design biennale in Finland and at a museum in Berlin.

"The most memorable moment as a herbalist was the time I was invited to part of the exhibition Welt Ohne Aussen at Martin Gropius-Bau in 2018," she said. "The theme of the collective exhibition was 'sensual expressiveness and immersive space' so I prepared red diablo tea."

On the major differences between Eastern and Western herbalism, she commented, "The Asian approach is more spiritual (as it is related to Seon Buddhism). But that doesn't mean the Eastern approach is superior to the Western one, or vice versa. They're complementary."

Kim Dam-bi directs a tea ceremony at exhibition Welt Ohne Aussen at Martin Gropius-Bau in this July 2018 photo. She presented "diablo tea" that includes jujube, licorice root, reishi mushroom and foxglove root. / Courtesy of Kim Dam-bi

Recently Kim has been learning about environmental and public health issues, observing her body and exercising. In March, she held a workshop titled "2020 Dambi's Health Center" in Seoul.

"This year, I've been exercising a lot and building muscles through yoga and swimming. The more I learn about my body, the better I see that it is full of wonders. My goal is to continue strengthening my body so it can create a great synergy with my mindfulness," she said.

Kim revealed that her current areas of interest are making fire cider and herbal tarot card reading.

"In winter, I always make fire cider based on Rosemary Gladstar's recipe to support my immune system. It includes ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic, peppers, lemon, orange, rosemary, turmeric and apple cider vinegar," she said. "It can be used as a cough syrup or tea or even a salad dressing."

As for herbal tarot reading, the herbalist expressed her desire to create her own cards.

"I feel like tea is more important and necessary today than before because people are going through stressful times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope people learn about the healing power of tea and nature," she said.